


(I See) The Real You

by WoodlandGoddess1



Series: (I See) The Real You verse [1]
Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Alien anatomy, Alpha Kallus, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Biting, Dubious Consent, Enemies With Benefits, Half-Zygerrian Kallus, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Zeb, Past Zeb/Rex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:21:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29136219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WoodlandGoddess1/pseuds/WoodlandGoddess1
Summary: Of all the moments to go into heat, it had to be when Zeb was trapped on a frozen moon with Agent Kallus.
Relationships: Alexsandr Kallus/Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios
Series: (I See) The Real You verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138223
Comments: 12
Kudos: 58





	(I See) The Real You

**Author's Note:**

> I was nervous about writing this, so I want to thank the Kalluzeb After Dark server for all their support and encouragement!
> 
> Another big thanks to Mudkip for beta-ing!
> 
> Title and Series Title come from The Real You by Three Days Grace
> 
> Important Note: Both Kallus and Zeb are active participants, but I marked it dub-con for mating-cycle reasons!

Zeb could feel the prickling heat beginning beneath his skin as soon as he started coming to, his muscles stiff and sore from the impact with the hard interior of the escape pod. It didn’t take long to realise what was happening. It was a familiar sensation — it happened once a month since he’d turned sixteen. It took him longer to realise what he was smelling, where the strong and attractive scent — of earth and woodsmoke, iron and something softer, something almost sweet — was coming from. It wasn’t until Agent Kallus started stirring, groaning, that Zeb realised the scent was coming from him.

_No_ , Zeb almost growled. _That can’t be right. He’s Human!_

But the truth couldn’t be denied when Kallus looked at him and he saw those pupils start to dilate as the Imperial inhaled sharply, gasping in a breath as gloved hands reached for a wounded leg — the bone snapped and his leg twisting at an almost grotesque angle. It couldn’t be denied when a flush of heat flared above those mutton chops. Just enough to make his freckles stand out. 

Zeb couldn’t help swallowing, shocked and more than a little horrified at the realisation that Kallus was reacting to the scent of his oncoming heat — as though the man wasn’t Human. A nervous growl rumbled up from his chest. Without thinking, he grabbed their fallen weapons and rose to wrench the hatch open above their heads and let a rush of frostbitten air flood into the interior, diluting their sharpening scents as well as he could. Zeb grabbed Kallus, ignoring his vicious snarls and bitten words, and dragged him out of the escape pod before dropping him on the ground and snatching up his rifle.

Kallus moistened his lips and glared up at him. 

His scent sharpened.

His gloved fingers dug into the ground.

Zeb took a step back and raised his rifle immediately, aiming at his face. His instincts told him to fire, to squeeze the trigger and put a bolt into his skull before Kallus could take another breath. It told him to protect himself from the Imperial Agent glaring up at him — to protect himself as a rebel and as an omega. His attention flicked to the broken leg when Kallus tried to shift his position and stiffened with pain immediately, his face blanching behind that flush of heat. His attention flicked back to see that gaze almost rolling back as Kallus braced himself against the pain. 

Kallus couldn’t move.

Not without revealing himself and his intentions.

Kallus wasn’t a threat.

Not one Zeb couldn’t handle.

“Go on.” Kallus clenched his jaw and challenged him through the pain. “Finish me off.”

“Where would the challenge be in that?” Zeb couldn’t contain his scoff. “You’re helpless.”

“I’m not _helpless_ ,” Kallus snapped. A blatant rage bloomed across his features and darkened his gaze, making his dilated pupils seem all the more dangerous. His lip curled back to hint at something sharp for the briefest instant — too quick for Zeb to be sure it was real. His muscles bunched as though he’d leap at him and tear him apart. “I have endured worse than this.”

“Either way, you’re injured and I’m not.” Zeb bit back a growl as his own muscles tensed in response to the unspoken threat. He took another automatic step backwards. His finger threatened to squeeze the trigger for a moment before easing a fraction. “And I’d rather win fair and square. We can have a rematch when we get out of here. Ya can heal first.”

Briefly, surprise flicked across those flushed and hostile features. 

Zeb hesitated for another moment before lowering his rifle, his instinctive urge to fire fading with each breath that escaped him. His sense of honour, and his survival training, started to kick in instead as he continued to put distance between himself and Kallus. Clipping his rifle to the magnet between his shoulders, he turned his back on Kallus, unsurprised to hear the snarling lump of bantha shit say, “You’re expecting your rebel friends to come to your rescue? Your friends _fled_. If anyone comes for us, it will be the Empire, and _you will be captured_.”

Zeb couldn’t help the scoffing laugh that escaped at the mere thought of the Empire coming back to look for one miserable cog in their accursed machine. It was more than obvious that Kallus would be left for dead before the Empire went to such an expense. Kallus wasn’t considered a _threat_ to the iron grasp of the Empire; resources would never be wasted on finding him. Zeb couldn’t help stating with cold confidence, “That’s not goin’ to happen.”

Zeb ignored the shifting scent wafting around him. He ignored the scents of anger, pain and fear, and the growing scent of arousal that permeated the air around him. He had more immediate concerns. He climbed back into the escape pod to search for the transponder. Not to mention a heat source. As helpful as it was to have fur in cold biospheres, Zeb knew it was a matter of time before his own heat wouldn’t suffice.

His ears pricked for even the faintest sounds, Zeb searched the escape pod. It took a few minutes of cursing and tearing parts of the escape pod apart...but he managed to find the transponder, a set of tools not quite large enough for his hands, and a heat lamp. The heat lamp wasn’t much. But it would help for as long as its power core lasted. 

It flickered as Zeb carried it out into the cold cavern surrounding them.

His lips twisted.

Its power core wouldn’t last long, it seemed. 

But Zeb didn’t have time to contemplate the issue further as the crunching sound of ice and snow shifting reached his ears. He turned to see Kallus crawling across the cavern floor, using his gloved hands to drag himself through the snow and ice, his face pale and tight with pain and effort as he reached for his discarded bo-rifle.

_Fucking imp_ , Zeb almost growled. _Doesn’t know when to quit_.

“That’s not happenin’ either,” said Zeb, closing the distance with two loping strides and slamming his clawed foot down on the weapon before Kallus could get his hands on it. His stomach twisted as those nostrils flared wide and that murderous, enraged glare fastened on his leg, on the muscles flexing beneath his fur. The prickling heat beneath his skin sharpened as Zeb heard Kallus growl quietly, the faint rumbling sound almost lost amid the crunching of snow as Zeb dragged the weapon out of his reach.

Quickly, Zeb ducked down to pull the weapon from the snow, his fingers curling tight around the frostbitten metal as Kallus lifted his gaze, an unnatural light glinting across his pupils as shadow fell through the cavern from overhead. There was something almost feline in the snarling curl of his lips and the tilt of his head as Kallus focused on him intently, a predator backed into a corner. Zeb stared at him for a long moment as he racked his brains, wondering where he’d seen such things before, knowing it was familiar. 

Whatever species Kallus was, he wasn’t Human — not a pureblood at least. Not like Kanan or Ezra. Not like Sabine. There was something else in there, something that responded to Zeb and his strengthening heat as an alpha of his own kind might. Something that went through a heat or rut of its own. 

“How long,” Zeb asked quietly, lifting his chin as that almost intoxicating scent threatened to overwhelm his senses, worming beneath his skin and sending an unwanted pulse of heat between his thighs. His hands tightened around the weapon he’d seized from Kallus. “How long has this been goin’ on? Does the Empire know?”

“Does the Empire know _what_?”

“You’re not Human.”

“Excuse me,” Kallus snarled immediately, startled offense washing across his features.

“Ya have to know,” Zeb retorted. His hackles rose. “S’a bit obvious at the minute.”

“What the _fuck_ is that supposed to mean?!”

“You’re goin’ into rut.” Zeb gestured at the sweat building on that flushed face. Surprise flickered through him as Kallus brushed his gloved fingers across his face and then stared down at the glistening evidence with something akin to dread before searching through his pockets, his hands beginning to shake. Zeb tilted his head. “S’not the end of the world. Just. Ya know. Bad timin’.”

“Shut up.” Kallus squeezed his lashes against his cheeks and inhaled sharply, the sound almost a gasp in the darkness growing around them. The heat glowing on his face intensified. “I’m allergic to something in this cave and I don’t have medication with me. I forgot to pack them this morning.”

Zeb blinked at the unexpected comment. Something twisted in his chest. He realised it was unease as Kallus fisted his hair and exhaled with the same sharpness. His unease grew as the Imperial curled around himself and the scent of panic flooded the air, almost obliterating that scent of arousal rolling from him. The thought that Kallus had no idea what he was, or what was happening, didn’t sit well with him. The thought that someone was medicating his _nature_ and keeping him in the dark about it made his stomach churn with nausea. 

Was it his parents?

His superiors?

How long had Kallus been on these _medications_?

Was this his first rut?

“Ya can’t be allergic,” Zeb said softly, pushing the rush of questions down. It wasn’t the right time to bombard Kallus, not when he was so disturbed and out of sorts. Not when heats and ruts were so overwhelming on their own. “There’s nothin’ in here ‘cept snow and ice.”

Almost as soon as Zeb said the words, something roared in the distance, the sound echoing through the frozen cavern around them. Flecks of ice crackled free from the pillars supporting the cavern and fluttered to the ground.

“And whatever _that_ is,” Kallus said quietly, raising his head. His gaze glinted from the shadows gathered around his hands. It reminded Zeb of a feline once more. “That sounded too close for comfort.”

“S’just the ice. It distorts sound. Makes stuff seem closer.” Zeb wasn’t sure who he was attempting to convince — himself or Kallus, who stared at the ruined transponder now as though it were a lifeline. “We’ll be fine. It won’t take me long to fix the transponder.” 

“The signal will never breach the ice.”

“Ya might be right about that.” Zeb looked down at the transponder, his gut twisting, and then looked around the cavern. He studied the walls. If he could get his claws deep enough into the ice and stone, he could reach the ceiling of the cave and the jagged hole that led outside. It would be a challenge, but he could do it. With enough time. Zeb turned his attention to the surrounding shadows, unsure how much time he had. “Once I fix the transponder, I’ll climb up and toss it out.”

Kallus said nothing, but he didn’t have to speak. His command was written all over his face.

Zeb almost threw the transponder at him out of spite. He wasn’t fixing the transponder for _Kallus_. He was fixing it for himself — for his own safety, his own peace of mind. Kallus being rescued from imminent death was just a bonus. Scowling angrily, Zeb hunkered down in the snow and ice, ignoring the chill that went up his spine, and shoved the heat lamp towards the furless Imperial with his foot. Using the too-small tools, Zeb went to work.

A few minutes of relative silence passed. 

All Zeb could hear were the delicate components coming apart in his hands and the quickening breaths from Kallus, suggesting his rut was getting worse. Stronger. More insistent. He glanced at Kallus, watched him stare down at his lap with a mixture of surprised confusion and horrified anger. It wasn’t difficult to see why; not when Kallus’ erection was tenting his uniform trousers, adding a sharp musk to the strong scent of arousal rolling off his tense frame.

“S’okay, ya know,” Zeb said softly, hoping his soft voice and his understanding would keep Kallus from snapping, from breaking and giving in to the urge to rut his brains out. “S’natural. I was sixteen when I first went into heat. Growin’ up, I knew about heats, but knowin’ about it and experiencin’ it are two different things. I wasn’t prepared for it. Went into heat while I was runnin’ drills with some cadets. It started a chain reaction as soon as it happened. A few other omegas started goin’ into heat and a _lot_ of alphas started goin’ into rut. Captain Surat had to protect me and the other omegas from them. Horny, inexperienced alphas are dangerous when filled with the instinctive urge to mate.” 

“Shut. Up.” Gloved fingers dug into the frostbitten ground. “I’m not a fucking animal.”

“Me neither, mate.” Zeb couldn’t help the bitter laugh that escaped him before his face tightened with anger. He couldn’t help wishing he were trapped in this accursed cave with Kanan or Rex instead. Neither of them would think he was an animal for having a different nature. Clearly, the Ashla was punishing him. “Just thought I’d help make sense of what’s goin’ on with ya. It can’t be easy, goin’ into rut for the first time at this age, and bein’ stuck in here with _rebel scum_ must be makin’ it so much harder to deal with. Ya can’t rut without givin’ up _principles_.” 

“Stop talking to me,” Kallus bit out through clenched teeth. “Or I swear I’ll —”

“What? Shove me down?” Zeb huffed. “Show me who’s boss?”

Kallus growled.

“Yeah. I thought so,” Zeb said quietly, dropping his attention back to the components in his hands, removing wires that were fried. He rewired the transponder carefully, using the little knowledge he had of Imperial tech to his advantage. “Been on those medications for long?”

“For as long as I can remember.” The response was stiff and unwilling, and broken with deliberate inhales. Zeb glanced at Kallus to see beads of sweat rolling down his face, matting his mutton chops. Snow and ice began to melt around his legs as his core temperature continued to climb. “I need to take them daily; I have a lot of allergies. It is imperative that I get out of this cave and back to the Empire. I will die without them.” 

“Ya believe that? Really?” Zeb couldn’t help the sad frown that furrowed his brows. “Even with that pole tentin’ —”

“Diminished or non-existent libido is a side effect of taking the medication. I’ve never had an erection for as long as I’ve taken them. Being without them is bound to have an unwelcome effect.” Kallus’ voice hardened. “ _Not that I owe an explanation_.”

“Ya can smell it though.”

“Smell _what_?”

“Me. Goin’ into heat.”

“You’ve always been pungent.”

“Not like this,” Zeb responded as he started putting the transponder back together, slotting the outer casing into place. He watched as a slew of unspoken emotions flickered across Kallus’ features, the most prominent of which was fear. Something akin to panic. “Look at me and tell me I don’t smell good right now. That ya don’t want to —” 

Kallus turned his face away, his expression shuttering.

It was answer enough.

Zeb focused on the transponder, on changing its internal frequencies to allow for non-Imperial ships to detect and find them. Truthfully, he didn’t want to think about Kallus’ increasing urge to pin the nearest omega down and fuck them into oblivion. Not when that omega was himself. His lip curled in disgust at the thought. No matter how desperate to sate their urges he and Kallus grew, Zeb had no intention of giving himself up, of sacrificing his _own_ principles.

He still had _some_ self-respect left.

No, Zeb would clamp down on his own urges until the _Ghost_ picked him up and then he’d ask Rex to help him out. It wouldn’t be the first time the old clone had helped him through one of his heats over the last few months. It was almost starting to become a habit.

Zeb turned the transponder on and his ears wiggled with satisfaction when it started beeping in his grasp. He was one step closer to getting his itch scratched. Zeb raised his head and shook the transponder at Kallus, informing him cheerfully, “I fixed it and I altered the frequency; anyone can find us now.”

“You won’t die today, then.” Kallus swallowed and drew in a slow, quivering breath before glaring at him. “But the Empire will win in the end. Every day, we recruit more informants. Every day, we convince more rebel sympathisers to reconsider their allegiances.”

“And every day,” Zeb answered quietly, his voice taking on a dangerous edge, “more beings get fed up with yer precious Empire. With people like _you_. How does it feel, knowin’ no one can fuckin’ stand ya?”

Zeb didn’t wait for an answer, choosing instead to get to his feet. With the transponder in one hand and Kallus’ weapon in the other, he approached the nearest wall. He studied the wall for a moment and then plunged the weapon into the snow, more than aware that he’d need both of his hands free — and he couldn’t clip the weapon to his belt. Not like the transponder. He threw a scowl over his shoulder to see Kallus watching him intently, those angular brows furrowed with thought and those sneering lips pressed into a thin line, before clipping the transponder to his belt and beginning the climb. 

For a few moments, things were perfect.

His claws found purchase in the ice and stone.

His muscles and his experience with climbing propelled him upwards. 

He’d just reached the midpoint when he felt the ice give beneath his weight. His claws slipped free and his descent to the ground was rapid. He hit the bottom with a grunt of pain and he couldn’t stop a snarl of frustration from escaping him as Kallus released a quiet chuckle behind him. The sound was rich and almost luxurious, but carried a sinister note that made the fur on the back of his neck stand on end as Zeb scrambled to his feet.

“You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“Shut up.” Zeb huffed and glared at the wall. “No one asked for yer opinion.”

Twice more, Zeb reached the midpoint before falling to the bottom with a grunt of pain and embarrassment as Kallus took an offensive amount of pleasure from watching him fail at his task.

“You have bested me time and time again and still can’t figure out how to reach the top of this cave,” Kallus mused. “I’m not sure whether I should be amused or offended.”

“Think ya can do better?” Zeb rounded on him with a snarl. “ _Be my fuckin’ guest_.”

Kallus didn’t answer, but took a limping step backwards, fear flickering across his features. 

Zeb opened his mouth to make another jibe and froze as a sudden rush of fetid breath gusted over his shoulder, almost choking him. He whirled around in time to see a large foot — with talons as long as his forearm — come hurtling out of the shadows. It flew straight towards his middle. Instinct drove him to the side and what should have been a fatal blow turned glancing, the force still enough to smack him across the cave. Zeb hit the ground hard and came up rolling, almost stumbling as his foot landed on something hot. 

His gaze dropped to see a pit of melted ice and snow.

And a glowing rock.

_Heat source_ , Zeb thought between one heartbeat and the next. _Ammunition!_

Zeb scooped the rock up and hurled it as hard as possible, his lips curling in satisfaction as the rock struck its target: one large, beady, vulnerable eyeball. The immense creature reared back in pain and surprise, an arc of hot water splashing across the upper ridge of its beak. Its feathered hindquarters disappeared into the shadows before the beast growled and lunged for him with surprising speed. Zeb jerked back a step before bolting, his ears flat against his head and his heart thundering in his chest. 

The beast thundered after him.

Zeb did the first thing that came to mind: he scrambled straight into the escape pod and hunkered down as low as possible, hoping the outer hull would keep the beast occupied long enough for him to formulate a battle plan. The beast roared overhead and the sound was almost deafening, forcing him to cover his sensitive ears with his hands, the sharp and sudden pain pulling a wince from him. Zeb cursed as sharp talons scraped over and gouged through the metal around him.

Briefly, something close to dread blossomed in his chest. 

Was this how it would end?

Not avenging his people, but trapped in some accursed cave with Agent Kallus, of all people.

Dinner for some giant chicken-lizard creature. 

Determinedly, the beast crumpled and pulled the metal at the mouth of the hatch apart to get to Zeb, forcing him to shift and slide lower, keeping his head out of reach. His bo-rifle pressed between his shoulders, hard and uncomfortable, mocking him with its size — too large for close-quarters. 

Another gust of fetid breath washed over him as the beast shoved one curved hook of its axe-like beak through the mangled hatch and thrashed sharply, forcing it open wider. A roar of triumph escaped the beast.

Zeb crushed his lashes against his cheeks. He couldn’t stop a whispered plea to the Ashla from escaping, a plea for a quick and merciful death if there would be no chance to escape the beast.

Seconds before its beak reached Zeb, the sound of a rifle firing surprised him. 

The beast roared its pain and rage and pulled back from the hatch. It turned to face its assailant as the rifle continued to fire, the vibrant glow of one blast after another reflecting and refracting off the ice in the cave, creating an odd lighting effect across the distant ceiling. But there wasn’t time to admire the effect as Zeb scrambled up the interior of the escape pod to see Kallus hobbling in the distance, hands clamped tight around his bo-rifle and upper lip drawn back to reveal _fangs_ — not large and obvious like his, but sharp and glistening, almost hidden within the even lines of his other teeth.

Heat pulsed in his gut.

It pulsed between his legs.

Zeb felt himself _dripping_ and cursed before scrambling over the rim of the escape pod. He pulled his bo-rifle from his back and aimed at the beast as it lunged towards Kallus, who kept firing, keeping its attention focused on himself. It was more than he’d have expected from Kallus, even knowing he was an alpha entering his first rut. He’d have thought his lifetime of imperial training and brainwashing would have overcome Kallus’ instinctive urge to protect an endangered omega.

Experiencing natural hormones for the first time was a powerful thing, it seemed. More powerful than he’d thought. 

To distract himself from the rapid spiral of his thoughts, Zeb fired at the head of the beast. It hurt the creature, but did little more than make it angry, pulling its attention back towards him. He kept firing, a roar of determination rumbling free as he circled the creature instinctively, finding himself sliding into a pincer formation with Kallus. Together, firing rapidly, Zeb and Kallus began to herd the beast back into the shadows, forcing it to recoil beneath the bombardment of rifle blasts.

Zeb didn’t stop firing until he was certain the beast was gone. Even so, he stared into the shadows distrustfully, his hands squeezing his bo-rifle closer to his chest. His heart thundered against his ribs. His blood roared in his ears. And his nostrils flared as Kallus hobbled closer, his jaw clenched against the pain of moving, bringing that deep and tantalising scent closer. His dripping sheath throbbed and Zeb swallowed a groan as the head of his cock emerged to brush against his battlesuit.

_S’just the adrenaline_ , Zeb assured himself. _You’ve better control than this_. 

A rumbling growl escaped Kallus, who took another step closer, the amber of his irises eclipsed with the black of his pupils. Sweat shined on his forehead when Zeb looked at him. That hot flush was spreading down his neck now, disappearing beneath the material of his uniform. The fabric stretched taut over his bulge was damp. Another growl escaped Kallus, whose dilated gaze dropped to fasten on the seat of his battlesuit.

It wouldn’t be much longer until the agent lost control of himself.

_Don’t lash out. Don’t make him snap_ , Zeb told himself as he approached slowly, holding his weapon to the side and bearing his neck in a semblance of submission. It wasn’t a surprise when those dark pupils snapped upwards to track the motion. Something seemed to ease within Kallus when the man saw the arch of his neck. Just a little. Amber glimmered as the dilation of those pupils receded a fraction. _That’s it_. _Keep him calm_. _Bring him back to himself_. _You know how to calm an inexperienced alpha down. You’ve done it before._

Zeb took another step closer, watching Kallus take in several deep breaths, watching those lashes flutter as something akin to a moan escaped the man. 

“You. Do.”

“What?”

“Smell good.”

Zeb blinked in surprise, his lips parting. He hadn’t expected the agent to admit that. Not when Kallus was adamant that Zeb was wrong, that he wasn’t going through a rut. That he wasn’t something other than Human. Zeb moistened his lips with a quick dart of his tongue and then disarmed Kallus while the man was distracted with the scent of his heat.

It was Kallus’ turn to blink. 

“I should have seen that coming,” Kallus muttered. His brows knitted together.

“S’alright.” Zeb couldn’t help the crooked smile that curled his lips. “I’m a real distraction.”

“You’re a real nuisance,” Kallus corrected.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

The scoffing noise that escaped Kallus threatened to pull a laugh from Zeb, the sound building beneath his ribs before he managed to squash it. He moved away, brushing past Kallus, putting as much distance between himself and those shadows as he moved back towards the escape pod. It wasn’t a surprise to hear Kallus grunting in pain somewhere behind him as the agent did the same, soon bracing himself against the wrecked hull of the escape pod and sliding down to take the weight off his ruined leg.

Zeb pursed his lips. If he and Kallus were going to survive long enough to see the morning, the pair of them had to reach the surface and get out of that beast’s den. He’d have to take care of that leg — as well as he could. Unfortunately, first aid in situations like this were never as good as seeing a proper medic. Given the stressful circumstances, it wasn’t hard to imagine Kallus feeling the effects of his broken leg long after the bone healed.

Unfortunate.

But it couldn’t be avoided.

Zeb took another glance at the shadows before climbing into the escape pod and searching for the medkit. He re-emerged as soon as he found it and wasn’t surprised to see Kallus tracking his movements once more, though it did surprise him to see a fleeting flicker of conflict cross his face before it disappeared behind an expressionless mask. Seeing it made his stomach twist. It made his throat tighten. But he squashed the reaction down before it became too obvious. Zeb crouched in front of Kallus, bo-rifle in one hand and the medkit in the other, and studied him for a moment before stating, “This will hurt.”

“I know.” Kallus clenched his jaw. “Just get on with it.”

Zeb exhaled and set the medkit and Kallus’ bo-rifle down in the snow, taking a moment to make sure the bastard wasn’t bleeding, to make sure the bone hadn’t broken skin during the altercation with the beast. With the scent of his oncoming rut permeating the air, he knew catching the scent of blood would be a lot more difficult. He ignored the dark pupils burning holes into his face as he felt along the area with careful hands, searching for that sticky, uncomfortable wetness often associated with blood. Once Zeb was sure the man wasn’t bleeding, he cupped his thigh and manipulated the bone back into its correct position with as much care as he could manage — wincing as Kallus bit back a scream of agony, jaw clenching hard and head thumping against the exterior of the escape pod.

“M’sorry.”

“Shut up.”

“Yer bedside manner is fuckin’ shit.” Zeb huffed. “Ya treat Imperial medics like this?”

“No.”

“Figures.”

“I avoid medics.”

“Oh.” Zeb tilted his head. “‘Fraid of doctors?”

“No,” Kallus snapped. His shoulders tensed against the suggestion. His gloved fingers dug into the ground beside him. “I just. Don’t like. Remembering. Things.”

“I know that feelin’. Too well.” Zeb turned his attention to the bo-rifle. He studied it for a moment and then said quietly, “You’ve modified this for close-quarters combat. Impressive. But ya shouldn’t have it. It’s not a trophy.”

“I didn’t take it as one.” Kallus moistened his lips. His gaze dropped and his head turned to conceal his expression. “The guardsman I faced. He...fought well. Died with honour. I didn’t want to fight him. He was…outnumbered...overpowered. I... I asked him to surrender as we fought. But he pierced the electrostaff I wielded instead and struck the power core. He took out a street full of troopers with the resultant explosion. I managed to get back up and he didn’t. He pushed the bo-rifle towards me. Told me to take it before he....”

His ears ringing, Zeb stared at him.

“Lasan...it wasn’t supposed to be a massacre.” Kallus looked at him then. His angular brows knitted and something like regret twisted his lips. “But...I realise the Empire wanted to make an example. I know...before...I took the credit for it. But I was just doing my duty. It was nothing...personal.”

“Why the fuck are ya tellin’ me this?”

“I don’t know.”

A beat of silence passed and Kallus opened his mouth to speak again before pressing his lips in a thin line as another roar rumbled in the distance, bringing another spattering of flaking ice down around their heads. The roar was answered less than a heartbeat later, the sound much closer than Zeb would like. 

“We need to get movin’. Now.”

“Agreed.”

Zeb extended the bo-rifle to its staff configuration and lined it against Kallus’ leg, wincing as another noise of pain escaped the agent as he secured his broken leg to the staff with several rolls of tight bandage. He rose to his feet and darted across the cave to pick up the glowing rock he’d stumbled over earlier. Breathing deeply, Zeb looked up at the mouth of the cave, a series of desperate calculations moving through his mind. 

_Let’s hope this works_.

Zeb unclipped the transponder from his belt.

_Ashla...please...guide me. Help me._

Grunting, his muscles contracting and releasing rapidly, Zeb hurled the transponder and the glowing rock upwards, one after another, his stomach twisting with fear. He couldn’t afford to miss. He couldn’t afford for the transponder to break. Neither of them could. Zeb watched them arc through the air, his breath catching, and then he exhaled with relief when both items cleared the mouth of the cave and landed with a blatant burst of snow. 

Zeb threw his bo-rifle next.

There was no choice but to do so.

If Zeb and Kallus were to escape the cave, he’d need to lose as much excess weight as possible. It was bad enough that he’d have to shoulder the weight of the other man himself. He glanced over his shoulder, feeling something in his chest clench as another wave of palpable dread crossed those features he’d come to hate.

It was clear that Kallus didn’t think he’d make it out of the cave — with or without help.

Well.

He’d fucking show the bastard otherwise. 

“Imperials,” Zeb couldn’t help growling, “are so quick to give up hope.”

“Hope means nothing without hard work. Dedication. Skill.” Kallus scowled as he dragged himself up from the cave floor, his gloved hands almost clawing at the escape pod. His voice tightened with the strain of effort it took to get up. “Unfortunately, it also relies on _luck_. Which I’ve found to be in rather short supply, since meeting _you_.”

“Yeah. That’s ‘cause the luck is on _my_ side,” Zeb answered cheerfully, unable to stop a crooked grin from blooming on his face. Satisfaction coiled in his gut when Kallus’ expression tightened with anger, chasing the dread out of existence. “And _I’m_ the one gettin’ us out of here.”

“You won’t succeed without me,” Kallus snapped through a snarl. “You _need_ me.”

“ _I’m_ not the one with the broken leg, mate.”

“ _You_ didn’t figure out how to get out of here.”

“And I suppose _you_ have, with yer _superior_ Imperial mind and all that _bantha shit_.”

“Yes.” Growling, Kallus hobbled closer, his dark gaze blazing. He fisted his battlesuit without warning and pulled him closer, earning a startled stumble from Zeb, surprised at his show of strength. Kallus’ leather gloves creaked from the force of his grip. His voice softened and it seemed twice as dangerous — Zeb almost whined as his sheath throbbed once more, his cock emerging further, pressing hot and hard and desperate against its now-soaking confines. “Do as ordered and we might survive this.” 

Zeb might have given in to his instinctive urges, might have shut the arrogant bastard up with a rough kiss, if it weren’t for the rumbling roar that shook the cavern around them. Louder than before. The strength of the roar made his fur stand on end. It made him jerk away, his heart thundering against his ribs. Heat coiled in his gut as Kallus moved towards the sound without thinking, reacting to his instinctive urges, putting himself between Zeb and the roar — despite his lack of weapon. 

“We don’t have time for this.” Zeb grabbed him and pulled him back sharply, wincing as Kallus almost tripped over his broken leg, a pained noise catching in his throat. “Climb on. _Now_.” 

For once, the agent didn't argue.

Kallus reached for him with rough hands as Zeb turned around instead. His gloved fingers dug into his shoulders as he heaved himself up, grunting with the effort. His grunt morphed into a strangled gasp as his erection pressed hot and hard against the small of Zeb's back.

Zeb stumbled when he felt it against him and almost lost his balance before he managed to right himself. His ears pressing flat against his head and his heart thundering, he moved towards the nearest wall before Kallus stopped him with a quick squeeze of his shoulder.

"No," Kallus said quietly, his voice intense with confidence and command. "Don't climb the walls. Climb the pillars."

"The pillars —" Zeb whirled his attention towards the pillars, the towering columns of glistening ice that varied in girth — parts of which looked seconds from snapping clean in half. His own voice tightened with stress and disbelief in equal measure. "You're fuckin' kidding me, right?! Those things would never hold my weight — let alone yers too!"

"They hold up this cave, don't they?" Kallus squeezed his shoulder again. Gentler than before. "We need to trust each other, if we're going to get out of here. We don't have a lot of time."

Zeb released a breath and offered a silent plea to the Ashla before doing as instructed and moving towards the strongest-looking pillar. In the narrowing distance, he could hear the answering calls of the approaching beasts bouncing off the ice. It lit a fire under his feet. Zeb reached up and dug his claws into the pillar, his chest tightening when the ice resisted the pressure of his claws, but he pushed his nerves down and raised one clawed foot after another, suspending himself and Kallus from the ice.

His progress was slow and careful.

It had to be.

One wrong move and the pair of them were done for.

Each time he slipped against the ice and almost lost purchase, his heart leapt deeper into his throat. 

Each time he slipped against the ice, Kallus opened his useless fucking mouth.

Almost two thirds up, and after slipping six or seven times already, Kallus reminded him tightly, "The goal is _not_ to fall."

" _Karabast_." Zeb growled — part in anger and part with strain. "Just shut _up_!"

"Karabast. Karabast!" Kallus huffed against his ear in irritation. "What the fuck does that even mean?!"

"It means I'm tryin' to concentrate, ya fuckin' dickhead."

Almost as soon as he said the words, an eager trilling noise caught his attention and Zeb found his gaze swivelling to the shadows, where two beasts were now emerging. His heart stopped beating as fear spiked through him. His ears flattened against his head and the fur on the back of his neck rose at once. His lips pulled back from his fangs and a terrified snarl escaped him.

One beast was too many; two seemed insurmountable. 

“Climb,” Kallus snapped into his ear, his voice hard and authoritative despite the note of fear underscoring the word. His grip tightened around his shoulders. “Keep climbing, you fool. We still have time to get out of reach! Hurry!”

His voice, his tone, snapped Zeb out of himself. 

Quickly, Zeb climbed the last few feet to the ceiling, his heart now thundering once more, as the beasts below lunged forward to reach the base of the pillar. One of them jumped to snap at his feet and Zeb almost failed to jerk them out of reach in time. He glanced across the distance to the mouth of the cavern and the stalactite-like piece of ice that separated him from it. He released a shaking breath in an attempt to calm himself. 

_Hardest part next_. 

His mind calculating, and his muscles bunching, Zeb leapt from the pillar, catching the ceiling with his foreclaws and feeling them gouge deep into the stone. His arms and shoulders burned from the effort of holding himself up, of holding Kallus up, and a grunt of strain escaped him. His lungs threatened to give out before he managed to swing his feet upwards and latch on with his hind-claws. Relief shot through Zeb for an instant and then ruptured as Kallus shouted out in agony, the man almost wrenched right off his back before Kallus dug in with a snarl of desperation and pulled his foot free from the beak that grabbed him.

Fuck.

FUCK.

Zeb relinquished his grip with his hind-claws and slammed his feet downwards to give the nearest beast a sharp kick in the beak. It reeled with surprise for a moment and Zeb used that moment to swing himself forward aggressively, using his foreclaws alone to haul himself across the ceiling. He’d just reached the next ice formation when he felt Kallus slipping, the strength in his arms giving out and the dead weight of his broken leg dragging him downwards.

His scream of terror rent the air for a second...two seconds...and then Zeb snapped him out of the air, one clawed foot curling tight around his calf — the one attached to his broken thigh. His scream of terror morphed into a shout of pain. But Zeb didn’t have time to care about his shouts of pain as the beasts gathered below, lunging upwards and snapping, attempting to snatch Kallus from his grasp. He glanced between the beasts and the mouth of the cave, his mind whirring, and his blood thundering in his ears. 

He had one shot.

He had to make it count.

“Hold still and fuckin’ hope this works.”

“Hope?! Hope what works?!”

A growl of effort and determination building, Zeb started swinging, his attention locked on the stretch of ice running along the mouth of the cave. As he swung, he shifted his grip and used one of his toes to extend the bayonet at the end of the bo-rifle strapped to Kallus’ leg. Zeb quickened his swing and released Kallus with a roar. 

The bo-rifle struck the ice and buried deep with a loud shriek of metal.

A startled laugh of relief escaped Zeb.

Kallus, dangling above the two snapping beasts, released a breath loud enough for Zeb to catch and then choked on a gasp of fear as his weight pulled on the bo-rifle, dragging it an inch from the ice. 

A second inch slipped free.

Dread surging rapidly, Zeb scrambled across the ceiling, using all of his claws to maintain grip and propel himself forward. 

A third inch slipped free.

“No,” Kallus growled in growing fear, his frame curving, his fingers attempting to scrabble at the ice as if he could pull himself up. A fourth inch slipped free and then another, the slide of metal gaining speed. “No, no, no, no!”

Without thinking, Zeb lunged forward and landed on the beak of one beast before leaping to the back of the other. Dodging snapping jaws, he scrambled up the back and just reached the top of the head as the bo-rifle slipped free in its entirety, plunging Kallus to his doom. His heart thundering, Zeb ran forward and jumped to catch Kallus, a knot of fear forming in his gut as he landed on one curved edge of the beak.

He didn’t think.

He just acted.

Zeb threw Kallus upwards as hard as he could and had less than a moment to watch him soar through the mouth of the cave before he had to scramble off the beak to avoid becoming dinner for two salivating beasts. He darted forward and threw himself upwards, catching the edge of the mouth with his upper arms and chest.

To see the barrel of his own bo-rifle levelled at his face. 

Zeb didn’t have a chance to speak before Kallus jerked the weapon a fraction to the side and fired abruptly, the burning bolt skimming the fur at the side of his face before slamming into the beast that reared up behind him. He almost didn’t feel the sting, too preoccupied with the dark gaze burning into his, amber irises obliterated with the heat of desire. Zeb didn’t hesitate to take the hand offered to him a moment later and he let Kallus pull him up into the snow, unsurprised when the agent threw the weapon down and lunged at him.

His lips were hot and demanding, his tongue forceful. 

Zeb staggered back a step, whimpering, his sheath pulsing in time with the slick thrust of that tongue. He almost toppled back into the hole before catching his balance and seizing that arrogant face with both hands, his claws grazing his scalp and pulling a growl from Kallus. Zeb let the bastard plunder his mouth for another torturous moment before shoving him away, baring his fangs, and snapping, “Shelter first.” 

Kallus growled again. His plush lip curled back to reveal one of his small fangs, sharp and threatening, shining with saliva in the moonlight bouncing off the snow around them. Kallus stepped forward.

It took all the strength Zeb could muster not to let Kallus seize control of the moment. It took all of his strength to keep from throwing himself down in the snow, from ripping open the fastenings of his battlesuit and shoving it down past his hips, from _offering_ _himself_ to the alpha staring at him with those hungry, hot eyes. It took all of his strength to pick up his bo-rifle and the beeping transponder, tossing the glowing rock at Kallus with one of his feet. 

The action seemed to take the man aback enough to snap him out of it — just enough to get him moving, following Zeb as he squinted through the flurries of snow billowing around them. It took a few minutes to spot a distant rockface and he made a beeline for it at once, all too aware of Kallus hobbling behind him. All too aware of how much colder it was on the surface, even with the insulation of his fur, even with his heat pulsing through his veins and demanding that he give into his instincts, his nature. 

It was a relief when he spotted a small cave nestled in the rockface.

Almost as soon as he breached the cave, Kallus was on him. 

Zeb stumbled to his knees, affronted that the bastard didn’t even wait for him to turn around to face Kallus, but couldn’t stop a startled shout from escaping as fangs sank into his neck. His back arched. His hips snapped forward and an orgasm shuddered through him without an ounce of warning, his entire frame tightening with pleasure.

A rumble of approval escaped Kallus, the sound deep and sensual as he nuzzled against the bite mark throbbing on his neck. 

It sent a hot pulse of want shooting through Zeb.

“ _Fuck_.”

“That’s the idea,” Kallus whispered in his ear a moment later, his plush lips grazing the sensitive skin just under the thin fur. One hand seized a fistful of his fur and pulled tight and the other dropped the glowing rock into the snow. “I couldn’t help but notice,” Kallus purred in a silken voice, “how quick we were to follow orders down there, Lasat. I found it quite... _interesting_.”

_“_ S’just nature,” Zeb gasped as Kallus pulled his head back. “Means nothin’.”

_“_ We shall see.” Kallus rubbed one mutton chop down his cheek before releasing him with a rough shove. “ _Strip_.”

“In these temperatures,” Zeb scoffed. He twisted to glare at Kallus. “I don’t fuckin’ think so.”

Kallus opened his mouth to snap something, that darkened gaze hardening, but stopped when he seemed to realise Zeb wasn’t ignoring him completely; Zeb popped the hidden fastening below his navel and pulled down the zip, pulling until it reached the small of his back — an ease of access that few knew about. Kallus’ nostrils flared wide as slick and cum dripped down to stain the snow between his thighs blue-lilac.

Kallus was on him in seconds, gloved hands fisting his fur and holding him in place as the man did his best to consume him where he knelt. His lips harsh and demanding, Kallus plundered his mouth relentlessly, his fangs catching and pinching his lip several times, sending bursts of pleasure and stinging pain shooting through him.

An offended noise escaped the bastard when Zeb grabbed him and hauled him down into the snow, breaking their kiss and leaving them both panting as Kallus glared up at him.

Zeb scrambled to straddle him and pin him down. His stare turned challenging when Kallus tried to shove him off and he ground down with his hips, grinding himself against that damp bulge still confined within those uniform trousers. Satisfaction coiled through him as Kallus’ head thumped into the snow, that dark gaze almost rolling, a strangled noise of pleasure escaping between clenched teeth. Zeb reached down between them and hooked his claw into the zip, tugging harshly, the sound sharp in the quiet of the cave. 

His attention flicked downward at once. 

Zeb ripped through flimsy, sodden boxers with ease, strengthening waves of want pulsing through him with each noise that escaped Kallus, who sprawled now with an arm thrown across his arrogant face, almost overwhelmed. His breath stuttered in his chest when he saw Kallus’ cock — longer and thicker than he’d expected from someone part-Human — but nothing he couldn’t handle.

Nothing he couldn’t take without too much prep.

Zeb ran a finger over Kallus’ cock slowly, from base to tip, watching it twitch beneath his touch as Kallus growled into the crook of his arm and twisted his hips upwards, chasing the sensation with a desperation that almost made him smirk. He pushed the finger of his other hand through his own slick and retracted his claws before reaching back. A whine caught in his throat as Zeb slid his finger up to the knuckle without pause, his frame tightening, his sheath pulsing with renewed hunger and releasing more slick as the prospect of being fucked senseless drew closer.

For a few moments, Zeb fucked himself on his finger to loosen himself up.

Just a few moments.

He didn’t need much.

It was one of the perks of being designed to accommodate alphas much larger than Kallus.

As soon as he was ready, Zeb pulled his finger free and shuffled forward a little awkwardly, his breath coming hard and fast as he wrapped a hand around Kallus’ cock and moved him into position. A strangled noise escaped the bastard as the head of his cock rubbed against his rim and then the pair of them groaned as Zeb sank down slowly, determinedly, rocking his hips to help Kallus slide deeper until his arse was flush against his pelvis. 

A moment of stillness passed.

And another. 

Kallus’ arm slipped from his face to reveal that dark and burning gaze, which flashed in the looming darkness, reminding him once more of a feline and a predator. His gaze fastened on Zeb. Kallus’ gloved hands found his thighs and squeezed before sliding upwards, gripping his hips with a possessiveness that made something hot twist in his gut.

It sent a frisson of fear through him at the same time. 

Without an ounce of warning, Zeb rose up until just the swollen head remained inside him before slamming back down with a grunt and snarl of effort. His lashes squeezed shut as he gave into his nature, his instincts, and rode Kallus recklessly, sending wave after wave of pleasure rippling through his veins. His sheath pulsed again and again. Zeb tossed his head back and choked on gasp after gasp as each rise and fall of his hips ground Kallus’ cock against that bundle of nerves hidden inside him. 

His frame coiled tighter and tighter. 

His claws dug into the snow on either side of Kallus’ head. 

It was a surprise when Kallus sobbed beneath him.

Zeb had less than a moment to glance down at the bastard before he felt something latch deep inside, something almost sharp, pulling a shout of startled pain and pleasure from him. His back arched. And that tightness coiling inside him released with an aggressive shudder, pulling splash after splash of cum from his cock and curse after curse from his lips, his hips stilling as Kallus’ pulled him flush against his pelvis in response to his instincts.

_Barb_ , Zeb almost gasped aloud as Kallus’ cum flooded him with warmth. _He has a barb!_

Zygerrian. 

Kallus was Part-Zygerrian.

When Kallus tried to withdraw after less than a minute, his barb still attached inside, Zeb shook his head and pressed a forceful hand against his sternum quickly, growling, “Stop! You’ll hurt us both!” 

“ _What_ —”

“Ya have a barb! You’re attached to me!”

“Humans don’t have barbs,” Kallus protested shrilly, something akin to panic twisting his flushed features, the dilation of his pupils starting to recede in the wake of his first orgasm. But Zeb knew it wouldn’t be long until those urges ramped back up and Kallus pounced on him all over again. “Get the fuck off me!”

“Humans don’t crave omegas in heat either,” Zeb snapped. “But here we are.”

“I... I don’t…”

“No? Ya fuck rebel scum on the regular, huh?”

Kallus turned beet red — impressive, given that he was still hot and feverish from rutting him.

“Yeah. That’s what I thought.” Zeb huffed and glanced away, finding a spot on the wall to stare at as he waited for Kallus’ barb to detach. Until Kallus squirmed with impatience beneath him and dragged his attention back to him. Zeb couldn’t help growling. “As soon as I’m able, I’ll slide off and we can pretend this didn’t happen until the next wave comes.”

“The...next...wave?”

“Ruts...heats...can last up to half a week.” Zeb felt his gut twist with disgust at the thought of being trapped with Kallus, of being _astride_ Kallus, for that long. He dislodged the unappealing thought with a shake of his head and a low snarl. “But these aren’t ideal circumstances. Doubt it’ll last that long. _Hope_ it fuckin’ won’t.”

Kallus said nothing, but stared up at him with a mixture of dread and nausea.

Almost five minutes passed before Zeb felt the barb detach at last and he didn’t waste time in pulling away, putting as much distance between himself and Kallus as possible before zipping himself back up in an attempt to conserve some warmth as his cooling sweat sent a cold shiver rippling through his frame. He curled up on his side and stared at the wall as he tried to ignore the sound of Kallus’ zipper closing behind him. He tried to ignore the wetness in his arse, the emptiness in the absence of a warm cock. Zeb wrapped his arms around himself and squeezed his lashes against his cheeks, struggling to breathe evenly, guilt and shame rising up in his gut as the weight of what he’d done settled within him.

_It’s just nature_ , Zeb told himself as he settled in to wait for the next wave of his heat. _You didn’t want him. You’ll never want him._

* * *

Zeb wasn’t sure which woke him first — the prickling heat rising beneath his skin again or the sound of a ship in the distance. His ears twitched and he sat up quickly, dislodging the arm wrapped around his waist and ignoring the grumble of sleepy, confused discontent from Kallus behind him. Zeb gave him a sharp thump.

“OW!”

“Ya hear that?”

“Hear what?!” Kallus scowled at his back and then lapsed into silence, his breath quickening as his ears registered the sound as well. His voice dropped to a disbelieving whisper. “It’s a ship.”

“Yeah...but whose?”

Zeb and Kallus shared an uneasy, uncertain glance. Memories of the night before hung between them like a lead weight. He looked away, uncomfortable, and rose to his feet before zipping himself up. He ignored the gaze that fastened on his arse and the broad span of his hips, where Kallus’ bruising grip would linger for hours to come. Zeb clipped his bo-rifle to his back and then turned to face Kallus finally, mumbling, “S’pose we’d best find out.”

“Yes,” Kallus agreed softly, a surprising note of hesitation colouring his voice. “I suppose so.”

“Here.” Zeb thrust his hand at him. “Yer leg must be numb as fuck right now.”

“Quite.” Kallus took his hand immediately, his grip weak from exposure and exhaustion after their exploits the night before. His face twisted around a grimace of pain as Zeb pulled him to his feet and he was forced to put weight on his broken leg once again. If it wasn’t for the bo-rifle supporting the leg, Kallus would have buckled. Kallus took a few moments to get himself under his usual rigid control before moistening his lips, admitting softly, “I...appreciate...the help.”

“Yeah. Well. Don’t mention it.” Zeb huffed. “C’mon.”

With Kallus biting back grunts of pain each step of the way, Zeb helped him out of the cave and around the rockface, the pair of them shuffling through the snow as the ship powered down in the distance, the drone of the engine reaching them on the wind. The pair of them stopped when the shape of the _Ghost_ made itself known and a handful of people scurried down the distant ramp.

“Ah.” The breath that escaped Kallus was indecipherable. “Your friends did come back.”

“Just like I said.” Zeb looked at him askance, his throat tight. “Ya know…”

Kallus didn’t let him finish.

“I have to go back.” Kallus’ swallow was almost audible. “I have...questions that need answers.”

“I understand.” Zeb looked away, focusing his attention on his family, the tightness in his throat shifting down to his chest and lodging there, pushing against his lungs with a relentlessness that scared him. “It can’t be easy, not knowin’ things about yerself. Yer kin.” 

“You should go.”

“Yeah.”

For a moment or so, Zeb didn’t move and then moved all at once, ducking out from beneath Kallus’ arm and darting several feet towards the _Ghost_ before jerking to a stop and wheeling around. He stormed back and surprised even himself when he framed Kallus’ face between his hands, ducking down to kiss his cold and cracked lips.

Just once.

“For luck.”

And then Zeb turned and ran towards the _Ghost_ without looking back.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to drop in on [tumblr](https://rachaelkelleher.tumblr.com/) or [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/pocket_scribbles/)


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